Loom picker



June 15, 1937. F. w. MERRICK LOOM PICKER I raven/Z 02":

Filed Jan. 51, 1954 1302172 WMewwJcFfZ 5 Y M Patented June 15, 1937UNETED STAKES earsar area-es LO OM Frank W. Merrick, Boston, Mass,

American Stay Company, East Boston,

PICKER assignor to Mass,

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to loom pickers.

The invention, which has among its objects the provision of a durableloom picker of compact construction suitable for use in modern looms,

will be best understood from the following description when read in thelight of the accompanying drawing of an embodiment of the inventionselected for illustrative purposes, the scope of which invention will bemore particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loom picker, constructed according tothe invention, in assembled relation with the picker stick;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a plan, front elevation, and rearelevation, of the picker constructed according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 66 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 7a are respectively side elevations of the two parts whichin the finished device are united to form the hunter head holder;

Figs. 8 and 8a are front and side elevations respectively of a plugwhich in the assembled device abuts the bunter head; and

Figs. 9 and 9a are front and side elevations respectively of a platewhich coacts with the screw for clamping the bunter head holder to thepicker stick.

The picker illustrated comprises a bunter head formed of cylindricaldiscs 5 of relatively stiff, slightly resilient material such as soleleather or shark skin, the outer end face of the hunter head beingformed with a conical recess 3 for cooperation with the shuttle point.

Asillustrated, the bunter head is secured to the picker stick 5 by aholder which includes the cylindrical casing i. This casing receives thebunter head, which latter fits the interior cylindrical walls of thecasing. As shown, the casing has open ends, the outer end being formedwith an inturned annular flange 8 which engages with the outer end faceof the hunter head adjacent its periphery.

Formed integrally with the casing l is a generally U-shaped member whichprovides a strap for embracing the picker stick. As shown, the

edges of this U-shaped member, for a material portion 9 of their lengthsadjacent the casing 1, form continuations of the cylindrical walls ofthe casing, the remaining portions H of these legs being flat. At theirouter ends the legs of the U-shaped member are bridged by a part I3formed integrally therewith and provided with a screw threadedperforation l5 which receives the screw l1 formed'at its outer end witha hexagonal socket W for receiving a wrench.

The bunter head holder, comprising the casing l and the legs of theU-shaped strap, may be formed from a metal tube, or may be pressed froma metal blank by use of suitable dies, in each case to form a structurehaving the shape indicated in Fig. 7, after which the pre-formed bridgemember l3, illustrated in Fig. 7a, may be placed between the ends of thelegs of the U-shaped member and welded thereto. The corners 2| (Fig. 6)may then be rounded ofi by a grinding operation. I

In the present embodiment of the invention the inner face of the bunterhead abuts with a plug 23 provided with a countersunk perforation 25through which extends a wood screw 2'5 for se-'- curing the plug to thepicker stick. This plug is preferably formed of metal, and has a baseportion 23 resting against the picker stick, the plug and base memberconveniently being approximately of a width corresponding to thethickness of the picker stick.

As shown, the cylindrical outer surfaces 3! of the plug 23 fit the innerwall of the casing I. The parts of the picker are so formed that whenthe picker is assembled with the picker stick a space 33 exists betweenthe inner edge of the casing and the outer surface of the base 29 of theplug.

As illustrated, inserted between the end of the screw ii and the pickerstick is a metallic plate 35 formed with a cup-shaped recess 31 which ispreferably spherical for fitting the correspondingly shaped end of thescrew. As shown, the plate 35 at one end has projections 39 adapted torest upon the upper edges of the opposite legs of the U-shaped strapmember.

In assembling the device, the discsi forming the hunter head may beinserted one by one edgewise through the opening in the U-shaped strapmember with their diameters arranged axially of the casing 1. Theenlarged portion 9 of the. legs of the U-shaped member permit the discswhen thus inserted to be turned around'into coaxial relation with thecasing and pushed into the casing into the positions illustrated inFigs. 5 and 6. The screw I! may be backed off and the holder with thebunter head slipped over the end of the picker stick to bring the casingl in registry with the plug 23. The plate 35 may then be slipped intoposition and the screw I! then tightened. Tightening of the screw l'lmoves the holder rearwardly and causes the the shuttle point, whichmisalignment would otherwise occur due to the fact that the leatherdiscs of the bunter head, being usually softer at one portion thereofthan at other portions, will expand unevenly.

The plug 23, being rigidly secured to the picker stick andinternallyfitting the casing I, prevents any tendency of the hunter headand casing 1 t0 v.tilt under the influence of theblow, centrifugalforce, or excessive vibration. The broad base 29 of the plug acts tofacilitate the securing of this effect. The plate 35 acts as an abutmentfor the screw l1 and prevents it from directly engaging with therelatively soft picker stick. The coacting recess 31 and correspondinglyshaped end of the screw l1 permit the plate 35 to adapt itself to thesurface of the'adjacent edge of the stick; Further, the hunter head,beingunder compression, causes all parts of the picker to be securelyclamped to the adjacent parts thereof and the stick, and this preventsany possibility of loose play due to vibration, it being observed thatthe occurrence of such loose play will be fatal in respect to thedurability of the device.

Absence of excessive projections of the picker above and below the planeof the hunter headand at the rearward side of the stick permits thepicker to be used in modern looms.

It will be understood that wide deviations may be made from the form ofthe invention illustrated without departing from. the spirit of theinvention.

hunter head, a casing for said head, means for.

securing said casing to'the picker stick, and means separate from. saidfirst mentioned means adapted to be rigidly secured to said stick and toform with said casing a cooperatingslidably fitting 'plug and socket forpositively restraining said casing against stick. 7 V '3. A loom pickerhaving, in combination, a hunter head, a casing for said head havingabutlateral movement relative to said -ment means for engaging with theouter end of said head, said casing having an open end facing the pickerstick, casing-positionin'g-means adapted to be secured to said stickandtoenter i atively clamping said head between said casing 'and pickerstick and operatively clamping the latter between said head and .saidpicker stickengaging means, and casing-positioning means separate fromsaid first mentioned means adapted to be rigidly secured to said stickfor engaging said casing and acting positively to restrain said casingagainst transverse movement relative to said stick.

5. A loom picker having, in combination, a hunter head, an open endedcasing for said head having means for engaging the outer end of saidhead, a part adapted to be rigidly secured to the picker stick having arelatively long base portion longitudinally of the stick, said partadapted to engage with said stick and the opposed surface of said headand slidably engage with a lateral wall of said casing for positivelyrestrain ing the latter against lateral movement relative to said stick;and means engaging the side of said stick opposite said head andoperatively against said part.

6. Aloom picker having, in combination, a;

hunter head, an open ended casing for said head having means forengaging the outer end of said head, a part adapted to be rigidlysecured to the picker stick having a relatively long base portionlongitudinally of the stick, said part adapted to rest against saidstickand the opposed surface of said head and to enter said casing in slidingcontact thereof for positively restraining the casing connected to saidcasing for clamping said head with a lateral wall against lateralmovement relative to said stick and means engagingthe side of said stickopposite said head and operatively connected to said. casing forclamping said head against said part.

7. A loom picker having, in combination, a hunter head, a casing forsaid head having abutment means for engaging. with an outwardly facingsurface of said head and having an open end facing the picker stick,casing-positioning-means adapted to be secured to the stick slidablyengaging the interior Walls of said casing for preventing lateralmovement of said casing relative to said stick, said means abutting withsaid-bunter head, means secured to said casing and embracing said stickcomprising a part spaced from the side of said stick opposite'said headsuff cient to allow movement of. said casing. away from said stick farenough .to disengage said;

casing from said casing-positioning-means, and movable means carried bysaid part adapted op.-

a ,distance eratively to engage said stick and draw said casing towardsaid stick forclamping said head between said abutment means of saidcasingand.

said casing-positioning-means.' V Y.

